10/27/06

I started working on a new ACEO using Suellen Ross' technique of laying down the ink first, followed by watercolor, and then colored pencils. I'm not at all happy about it. It's too nitpicky! And then when I went over it with the colored pencils, that covered up the ink, so I'm going over with a final layer of ink, which doesn't go over colored pencils very well.

I think I'll just go back to ink followed with a watercolor wash. Anyway, here's the aceo partially finished.



I treated myself to a day of my own Tuesday. I had to go to the doctor for a followup on medication (new happy pills just aren't working), so afterwards I went down to the cities, stopped at Dick Blick & bought $150 worth of watercolors and pen nibs, then went to the zoo & took pictures. It wasn't too bad after all the school kids left; it was rather noisy until then. I got some drawable pictures of a camel and tiger, and some cute ones of prairie dogs. There's some nice texture in the prairie dog pics, with all the rocks.

The studio is progressing slowly. The boys got one end paneled, and the wall between the studio & foyer built. I'm making Dutch doors for that wall. I got the plywood cut out for the lower one and got a couple of the quarter inch plywood pieces glued onto it. Tonight I'll try to get more cut & glued on. And hopefully, this weekend they'll be back up to get the skylight put it. That will make a BIG difference in there; that and the ceiling fans.

Wed. 10/11/06

It’s been a non-productive week, kind of. Fired up the kiln last night to anneal my beads, and blew the fuse 3 times! Finished up by running an extension cord to another outlet. I will be so glad when the boys get my electric in the studio hooked up, but it probably won’t be for another month. I HAVE to get them to re-do the ramp in front. They have just a temporary one right now, and when Lukas & I went out this morning, the moisture on the wood had frozen, and his feet shot right out from under him, and he ended up flat on his back. I slowed his fall a little, but at 170 lbs. I can’t catch him like I could 10 yrs. ago.

Today it was back to work. I was happy because I figured I was going to have Friday off because we’re on early deadline this week, but my supervisor said I have to fill in Friday for the proofreader. Bummer!

Elephant ACEO

Monday, October 09, 2006

I finished the elephant ACEO last night. One week for a drawing. Amazing!



Today was not a good day. Really a depressing day, kind of. Did a little bit of work on the Civil War drawing, and labeled a lot of beads, and took a nap. Yippee....

Elephant ACEO

It's Sunday afternoon & I'm watching the Vikings lose, again. Well, I've only got another couple of hours to go on my ACEO. It takes 1-2 hours per square inch. But I am kind of liking this finishing a drawing in a week. My other drawing, a picture of the Chickamauga, Georgia Civil War battlefield, is just about done too. About another 5-6 hours left on that one. That one is taking a long time; it's about 6"x9".



Sunday, October 08, 2006

My nephews were up yesterday. They got my wall insulated & sheetrocked. No more north wind blowing through the cracks. Nice.

Meanderings

Friday, October 06, 2006

My first post

It's fall, and I'm in need of a new direction, incentive, energy, creativity, whatever you want to call it, so I'm jumping into blogging.

I was born and raised in the Midwest, and have always been involved with some kind of art or craft. I enjoy learning new things and exploring new arts, from needlework and quilting to pottery, painting and photography. My mother complained once that I was Jack of all trades and master of none. Right now I'm concentrating on just pen and ink, and lampworking (melting glass on a propane torch to make beads).

I'm trying ACEOs (Artists Cards, Editions and Originals, size 2 1/2x 3 1/2) to try to cut my drawing time from 3 months to a few days. I have so many ideas and not enough time or energy to put them all to paper! Right now I'm working on an elephant I took pics of at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee. I wish I had taken a lot more pictures of the characters there. It would have been fun to try some drawings or watercolors of them.

But anyway, I've put about three hours into it so far, and am about 1/3 done with it. All those DAMN DOTS!! :) Hopefully, I will get it done this weekend, but it's doubtful. My nephews are supposed to come up this weekend and work on my studio, and I have to get busy and finish my half-done cabinet so I can get it down on the floor so I can pile more stuff on it! I wanted a new direction; boy, have I got it in this studio. Making cabinets, learning how to router lap joints, learning how to use my new miter saw (I have to have my nephew take a look at it & teach my how to use it. The manual doesn't have any pictures!), and come up with a design for the countertops that includes tile and stained glass. My studio is going to look so-o-o-o-o-o nice when/if it ever gets done.

Maybe I'll get the drawing finished up tonight, although I have to get busy on my beads. I'm participating in a trunk show at the Bead Bag in Elk River next weekend, and I have to get a couple of hundred beads sorted and priced. Oh, my!